A Somali community member talks about the killings

by Tom Crann, Minnesota Public Radio

St. Paul, Minn. — On Wednesday night, three East African immigrants were gunned down at a market in the Seward neighborhood Minneapolis.

Police Chief Tim Chief Dolan called the killings, the city's first triple homicide in nearly six years, "a horrific, terribly tragic situation."

The Twin Cities has seen an uptick in recent years in Somali-on-Somali killings, but mostly related to street gangs or retribution. Two years ago, an Augsburg College student was gunned while working as a youth mentor.

For more perspective from the local Somali community, Tom Crann talked with Hashi Shafi, community organizer with Somali Action Alliance, whose office is located right next door to the Seward market where Wednesday night's killings occurred.

Broadcast Dates

• All Things Considered, 01/07/2010, 5:24 p.m.